Editorial - September 2011

We live our lives surrounded by TLAs. I'll leave you to wonder exactly what TLAs are, suffice to say there a potential 17,576 of them and TLA is itself a paradox. I attended a meeting today at 1600 CET which was in fact 1500 BST my time, GMT +1 for anyone not familiar with this time zone. Of course, GMT has been replaced by UTC and for our friends in the USA, there are many more time zones including CDT, EDT and PDT. The conclusion of our meeting is TBA.

TLAs are of course Three Letter Acronyms. The Game Creators (TGC) have released to the world their latest acronym - AGK. These three subtle letters front the very powerful App Game Kit, whose strengths are very understated when reduced to its shortened title. You can read all about the successful release and the projects that are already in the making, just two weeks into its life. You can also find out about the upcoming Internet Relay Chat (IRC) session, where the team will be giving Questions and Answers (Q&A). You'll also find news on DarkBASIC Professional (DBP), FPS Creator, AppUp Developer Group (ADG) and as many acronyms as we can fit into one newsletter.

One last note on acronyms. The longest to pronounce in the English language is WWW at nine syllables; ironically, you can pronounce the full phrase in just three.

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Application Game Kit Unleashed

Code your game once

The App Game Kit solves many problems caused by mobile device fragmentation. With it you can code your game once and then deploy your game to multiple platforms. Different resolutions and input systems are all handled by AGK.

Easy to Use

With its own BASIC script language App Game Kit makes it a cinch to code your games. Game designers, artists and many more budding game makers can start creating their own apps.

AGK Magic

Look no wires! Compile your BASIC games in the IDE, then transmit them over your WiFi to multiple devices for instant testing. Creating games with this new cross-development model will result in your productivity increasing significantly as you instantly target multiple platforms.

More About AGK

"The TGC team has a wealth of experience in creating game creation tools spanning well over a decade. Taking that knowledge and working with our loyal and enthusiastic community we set to work on creating AGK."

AGK was developed out of our own need to create a one stop solution for making game apps for mobile devices. In the past TGC had developed games for one device and then wanted to port them to other platforms. The process of conversion was costly and repetitive. The team wanted to spend more time creating new games and not burdened with laborious conversion work.

The TGC team has a wealth of experience in creating game creation tools spanning well over a decade. Taking that knowledge and working with our loyal and enthusiastic community we set to work on creating AGK.

This phase one of AGK is just the beginning. We aim to spread AGK across as many different platforms as possible. Meaning games you code in our AGK BASIC will instantly work on other supported platforms as we bring them into the AGK portfolio.

We're very excited about AGK, we feel it's the foundation of a great game making platform and we're 100% behind its evolution and development. We will continue to work with our community to ensure the AGK meets their needs.

Main Features

Write once, deploy everywhere architecture

Code in BASIC or native (C++)

Powerful and easy to use commands

Fast 2D game engine native to each platform

Screen resolution independent

Built-in physics for the best in game dynamics (box 2D)

Input device agnostic

BASIC Compiler broadcasts direct to devices

Extensive on-line documentation

Live Chat with the Team - Be There!

Building on the success and popularity of previous IRC Chat sessions for DarkBASIC Professional, the team will be online to answer all of your questions regarding AGK. You can connect on 4 September 2011, at 16:00 BST (GMT+1) to ask your questions and find out more about the product. You can check your local time using an online conversion site such as TimeAndDate.com.

This is an opportunity not to be missed, as those developers who are already deep in AGK coding will no doubt be asking the most pressing of questions. Even if you haven't yet invested in our latest cross-platform coding tool, you can still join us and find out what others are saying.

If you plan to join us, make sure you plan ahead and configure yourself for connection. Kevin Summers (Kistech) will be hosting the event and has provided some detailed instructions for participants:

It might not hurt for those participating to get a little familiar with the interface as well if they don't already have their own IRC client. The web interface should work well, or you can download a 30 day trial of mIRC.

At http://www.kistech.com/irc.aspx the first screen you'll see is you connected to the server. It shows only the status channel. In this channel nothing you type can be seen by anyone else. It's where you enter commands to view and join different channels and manage your account.

The first thing to do is change your nickname (nick), we recommend you use your forum name. For example you would type:/nick AGK_Coder

Next you'll want to register your nick.:/nickserv register (password) (email)That will make that nickname yours. Passwords are case sensitive.

When you come back to the IRC server again, you'll type the following to log in:/nick AGK_Coder /nickserv identify (password)

Channels. To see what channels are available, type:/list

To join a channel:/join (channel name)

To join the channel #agk-support:/join #agk-support

While in the channel, everything you type is visible to everyone in that channel, except for IRC commands.

During the upcoming chat session there will be more than one channel to allow questions to be asked, and a controlled channel for the team to answer in an orderly manner. There will be further details in the session on how to ask your questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Inside View from TGC

by Lee Bamber

We came, we saw, we launched. The App Game Kit took flight on the 15th of August and began to sore! We've released many products before, but we were surprised and pleased by the response from the community who almost brought our server down clammering to download the software all at the same time. We must say, it's a good problem to have.

Not even a week past launch had passed before someone actually finished a small game in AGK and started sharing their creation with everyone. It's fantastic to see such energy and gusto emerging, and we think it's a great sign of things to come.

The social side has been pretty busy with the Facebook page for AGK seeing a surprising bout of business. This might be helped along by the TGC team who have a direct line to these threads and often respond within moments of a question being posed. The main AGK forum itself acts as a great repository for more in-depth technical answers and general discussion on the direction of the language, and for posting ideas for the future. The TGC team will be dedicating some of its working week visiting all of our social outlets and answering your questions as they come in. We've also had help setting up an IRC channel for some live-chat events, to be announced through the usual tweets, posts and comments.

In terms of product support, the team had their first minor update out a few days after launch with more features requested by the community including support for Visual Studio Express 2010, additional support for M4A audio files in iOS and Bada platforms, F1 context help in the IDE as well as a few helpful IDE additions to smooth development. We continue to scour the forum for more issues you might be having, and our priority is to ensure they are dealt with quickly.

We have started our preliminary work into supporting Android 2.3 and above, which uses a C++ development environment at its core which means you'll get the best speed on modern Android devices. Once Android 2.3 is supported and released, we will look at the older Android versions and get feedback on what the community would like us to focus on.

AGK Player approvals as expected are taking some time to get through, but the latest news is that we have been approved on Mac and MeeGo, which means that you can download and install the AGK Player for free on any device that uses those operating systems and has the appropriate app store installed. For links to these apps, or the store, you can visit the main AGK website here.

In the coming months we will be launching a series of helpful videos from the main AGK website which delves into every aspect of AGK, from writing your first program to publishing your apps through the various stores. If you have any questions in the meantime, we recommend you post them in the new FAQ system for AGK, located here: http://www.appgamekit.com/faq.php. Your answer will appear as a new entry in the growing FAQ list, ensuring everyone gets the benefit of every question asked. If you have requests for new features or platforms, visit the AGK forum and start discussing your idea with your fellow AGKers.

With a successful launch of AGK, and a roadmap to continue providing new platforms for your creations, we hope to put the power back in your hands. Fragmentation has been a blight on developers, curtailing the places your app could go and restricting your ability to make money from your creations. AGK is here to change that, and in the coming months we're going to prove it to you.

Getting into AGK

AGK has finally arrived! Not only has it arrived, but the community around it is already thriving and being very productive. We have a collection of videos for you to get you started and get you inspired.

Firstly Dave Milton, one of our TGC developers shows you how to install and start working with AGK. In under 10 minutes, you can be ready to work on your first project. Dave takes you through the install process, loading up and running some of the many examples, creating a new project and navigating through the numerous commands.

Tier 2 Technicalities

Lee Bamber introduces us to the additional technicalities of Tier 2. Here you can learn how to set up your Mac environment for compiling the iOS Player. To get back to the basics, Lee starts by wiping his Mac Volume and installing the operating system! He'll then register as an application developer and progress through all of the required processes.

In part 2, Lee continues by negotiating both Windows and Mac to complete the Tier 2 process of developing for iPhone and iPad.

AGK Reviews

Richard Davey, formerly of The Game Creators has been following the progress of AGK. This marketplace is of particular interst to Richard as a developer with games converted to iPhone after successful releases on internet-based game environments.

"Being able to code your game once and then deploy it to a variety of devices has been a programming holy grail for as long as I can remember. When you factor in the huge range of mobile devices on the market today, there must be a massive amount of time spent by devs porting from one platform to another. So I have been following the progress of the App Game Kit (AGK) with interest, especially as this is the very issue it claims to solve."

What do you think of it so far?

We asked the early adopters of AGK what they thought about it, this is just a few of the very many positive responses we have recieved.

"It is surprising that AGK has turned almost smooth. Out of the box I can do almost everything."

Nokiaqd

"After working with AGK for a few hours now I can say that this is the best "first" version of a TGC product. Everything works as expected from the start up."

Hubdule

"AGK is fantastic. The language is very easy and intuitive. The documentation is great. The included examples are very usefull and gave me a lot of inspiration for future games."

jbarberoj

"Thanks guys for delivering such a COOL product. I own almost all the other Indie tools (Unity, Monkey etc etc) and this definitely rates amongst the BEST."

CodeGit

"I am absolutely impressed by how well AGK was thought out. Look forward to updates and seeing how this product will evolve."

Caps On!

"I think one of the best things about AGK for me so far is how it makes working in Tier 2 Xcode extremely easy. Examples are fully commented and easy to follow."

Neuro!

"Final thought: This is the best $80 I ever spent, because this thing is freaking awesome!!!"

Conjured Entertainment

AGK Already Updated!

Since the launch of AGK the team have worked fast to fix and tweak any reported issues. A new version is now available for download from all AGK owners order history area on the TGC servers. The list of fixes and changes include;

COMPILER

Fixes up to 1.0.3.4 (interpreter/compiler/IDE)

Improved fixes to AGK Player in relation to media folder and other small crashes in 1.0.2.8 version

Fixed compiler issues and allowed Windows AGK Player to detect full size of desktop

Various small compiler fixes.

Compiler has new command line -bct to compile and broadcast without running locally.

Follow AGK Development On Facebook

If there was ever a time to follow AGK on Facebook, it's now! Sign up to the AGK Group and receive notification direct to your Facebook wall and email inbox as soon as anything new is posted.

The latest updates include many discussions on just what you are developing now, plan to develop very soon and in some cases what you have already completed.

You can sign up and join in the discussions in the AGK Facebook group here.

First AGK App Published

Snake Snacker was validated and approved by Apple on Monday 29th August. This is the first AGK app to be published and it's already charting in the iPad kids and family charts. If you have an iOS device you can download this FREE app today.

The app includes AdMob advertising from Google and you can find out how that was added by reading Mike's article which is available for AGK owners and can be found in your order history named: App Game Kit - iOS Interpreter with AdMob.

Android 2.3 Support Coming Soon...

Development of the AGK Android platform has now begun. We will be supporting Android devices running version 2.3 (as this is closest to how we have coded the AGK engine).

We will release test versions of the Android player to AGK owners in the near future. Details of these Beta test versions will be announced in the forum and AGK Facebook group. We will need community help in testing Android because there are so many devices in it's eco-system.

Community Guide for AGK

Many of you will be familiar with Nickydude's Community Guide for FPS Creator and how invaluable it is as a resource for newcomers and experienced developers alike. Unlike official documentation and help files, these guides offer practical advice on making things work, from the people who are using the software everyday and finding clever solutions to a variety of challenges.

Already a work in progress, he is looking for contributors to the new AGK Community Guide. If you have anything you would like to contribute you can join the discussion in the forums.

Ludum Dare - AGK is out There!

Amongst the many games already appearing from the AGK stables, Kevin Summers (KISTech) has used the kit to submit an entry to the Ludum Dare competition. Taking up the challenge we put on the forums, he coded The Getaway Car in a frantic weekend coding competition and released it for both Windows and Mac! You can download the game for both platforms, and grab the source code right now.

In The Getaway Car, you are a bank robber traveling from small town to small town along the state line. You just robbed a bank, and the cops are coming. They've blocked all the exits out of town but they don't have the manpower to cover them all, and luckily for you they aren't too bright. The one they didn't cover is the state line, which puts you out of their jurisdiction...if you can get there.

ESCAPE from the cops with the loot from the bank, $100.. (it's a small town) and you'llget to keep it and move on to the next town. If you get busted, you'll lose $100 for bail money, and start over in that town.

The Getaway Car by Kevin Summers

You can place your vote for this game now at Ludum Dare, and help Kevin place his AGK game in the top ranks of this popular competition. This is one of 599 entries, all made in one weekend! If you want to know what a 48-hour game marathon looks like, check out Kevin's Timelapse video, cut down to 5 minutes.

FPS Creator News

September brings us a look at two utilities brought to you by Xplosys that many users are already benefitting from. Like many tools and media from ExploSoft, these are free to download and enjoy, so take advantage today and find out for yourself how much easier your development cycle can become.

Search and Rescue

If you've done the sensible thing and downloaded everything that was ever offered on the forum, you'll find yourself with the difficulty of managing what amounts to over 20 gigabytes of FPSC media. When looking for a particular item, like a piece of furniture, a character or even a prefabricated dungeon, this program saves lots of time.

Features include:

Quickly search your FPS Creator folder or any other media storage you choose.

Search for entities, segments, or scripts.

Search by any term including artist name.

Returns media with search term in the file name, folder name, or file text.

Displays the items icon for fast recognition.

Displays the items location and can take you directly to it.

Includes a simple multi-backup and restore feature for the FPSC Directory.

ExploSoft HUDs

Again contributed by Xplosys, this collection of HUD elements helps you quickly change the impact of your game from the moment it loads up. The collection includes various themes including:

Blood

Scribble

Plaque

Grunge

Bullet

SciFi

There are many more free FPSC elements and utilities on the ExploSoft website including the previously featured TextEase and Alfresco, and an entire aircraft modelpack. There are also utilities for creating holes in both walls and floors.

Take advantage of the Gallery

Have you created something in V118 that visually was not possible in previous versions? Why not post it in the Gallery, and email us the link. You can promote your game by including a YouTube video and link to your WIP or Program Announcement in the forums. If we see something stunning, we may feature it in the newsletter. This image is entitled Atelier.

Special Offer while Stocks Last - $29.99, Save Over $150.00!

Take advantage of this whopping special offer! Get FPS Creator and 9 Model Packs for an incredibly low price of $29.99 USD (€22.00 EUR, £19.99 GBP). This deal includes:

DarkBASIC Professional News

Everything you need to know about both DarkBASIC Professional and FPS Creator development can now be found via Lee Bamber's Tweets. You'll get to hear about every bug fix and feature as it's implemented.

Start following Lee now to get the latest news about your favourite development tools as it happens.

Fizzy & Dizzy

Andrew Vanbeck is busy completing his latest game, Fizzy & Dizzy. As we have come to expect from Andrew, this is another highly polished game, in the style of Bubble Blast but with a few twists. It comes with a full suite of tutorial levels, a huge array of bubble types (water, paint, ricochet to name a few) and an even bigger collection of challenges.

The demo is available on the forums for you to try out. It contains all of the tutorial levels, a selection of the easy levels and the Survival mode is also open to try. Take some time to work through the tutorials to understand the numerous options available to you through the different bubbles. But don't take too long to think about it, you're up against the clock with the water level rising all of the time!

Dark Game Studio Bonanza

Special offer while stocks last: Dark Game Studio, Dark Physics, Dark Lights, Dark AI and Extends for an incredibly low price of $49.99. Save over $170!

Creating your own PC games is now easier than ever with this special compilation of game making tools:

AppUp - Making Money from Games

by Steven Holding

In-Game Advertising as a Revenue Stream

One of the current hot topics for independent game developers is that of getting advertising into your games to allow you to get your game out there for free, and to generate revenue through the adverts. Steven Holding started the consolidation of this information some time ago, and Lucas Tiridath has expanded this with some of the more practical elements, having followed the details and uncovered some of the pitfalls. Here we have the results of this collaboration, with everything you need from website to game.

Although all of the information is presented here, be aware that you need to execute this professionally and with care. This is the step from hobbyist to commercial game publisher and you are entering into a contract with the advertisers to present their goods and services. It's a big step but if you have ever wanted to make the jump, this is what you need to do it!

Firstly, create a fully functional website with a reasonable amount of quality content. You need this to be a valid outlet for advertisments. This is also an opportunity to think about your games and how you want to present them to your audience.

Buy some web hosting space and a domain name, you need your own presence on the internet; free hosting is not sufficient.

Upload your website to your webspace.

Apply for a Google AdSense account and wait for approval. You may need to finetune your website before you are accepted.

Log in to your Google AdSense account and go to My Ads>New Ad Unit

Use the wizard that appears to create the kind of banner you want to appear in your game, bearing in mind that it will not be resizable and so must fit on the smallest supported screen resolution.

Create a new html page that is to display your in-game advert. Copy the following code into your new page

In Google AdSense, click "Get Code" on your new advert and copy the code in to the html page where it says "<!-- SCRIPT FROM ADSENSE GOES HERE -->"

Save and upload the html page to your website

Now we turn to your DarkBASIC Professional game. Create a new source file in your DBP project and copy in the following code

REM *** Google AdSense Library ***REMSTART To use this library, either add it to your project OR add the line: #INCLUDE "Google_AdSense.dba"

Ads will need to be directed to a web page setup as shown in the other document. This will require them to be hosted on your website.

You will also need: - BBB GUI - Matrix1UtilsREMEND

type AdType nID as integer nDBPWindow as integer nBannerWindow as integer nBrowserWindow as integer nX as integer nY as integer nWidth as integer nHeight as integer sURL as string sCurrentURL as stringendtype

// Run this at the start of your program before you call any of the// other functions in the library// You need to run START BBB GUI at the same time before any// other calls are made// Remember to add END BBB GUI before your program ends

function ShowAd(nID) for c = 0 to array count(InAppAds(0)) if InAppAds(c).nID = nID //webbrowser refresh InAppAds(c).nBrowserWindow ` Un-comment this at your descretion. I do not refresh the browser for fear of ` generating "artificial clicks" but refreshing it would create more views and ` would show new ads to a customer each time it was shown. show window InAppAds(c).nBannerWindow exit endif next cendfunction

Make sure you have Matrix1Utils and BBB GUI plugins installed, these are required for this solution. You can use other web containers if you are more experienced with them, you will simply replace the relevant BBB code above.

Add InitializeAds() and start bbb gui somewhere at the top of your code before you make any other references to adverts.

Add end bbb gui somewhere that it will be run just before the program closes

In your setup code, make adverts in the same way as you would sprites, using the MakeAd(nID,nX,nY,nWidth,nHeight,sURL$) command. sURL$ should equal the address of the html page made earlier on your website

Once adverts are created, you can move them using PositionAd(ID,nX,nY) and hide/show them using ShowAd(nID) and HideAd(nID)

In every main loop in your program where any adverts could be displayed, add the HandleAds() command

Compile and run your program!

You now have all of the elements required, good luck!

ADG embraces AGK

With the release of AGK, the group has been extremely keen to take advantage of new technology and new opportunities. This month we added a new thread to the AGK forum in an attempt to broaden our horizons as a group as well as to try to get more people involved in our little community. We have already had a really good response and now have 47 members!

One of our members (Adam Hodgson) sparked a new venture for the 'ADG' this month with the idea of a set of 'mini-games' produced using AGK as a community project. The theme for this set of games is "Arcade" so if anyone has a simple game idea they would like to produce to be included in "Volume One" of the "ADG Arcade" please get involved in the AGK thread here. Previously we had discussed producing a game for charity and have decided to give this set of games away as Donation-ware or at a cheap price with all proceeds to be donated to charity. The unhappy recent history of one of the TGC forum community has inspired us to use the Birmingham Children's Hospital in the UK as the beneficiary of this first venture.

Intel Co-Marketing - Wear your Badge with Pride

The Intel® Co-Marketing Identifier Program promotes the synergies between Intel architecture and Developers' most compelling, innovative software. Through the use of Intel Brand assets called Co-Marketing Identifiers, developers can quickly and effectively communicate that their solutions are optimized for industry-leading Intel technology.

Steve Vink recently underwent the process of optimising Pile ‘Em Up and submitting the game for the Co-Marketing program. "DarkBASIC Professional developers have the tools to get their games badged very easily", says Steve. "It takes relatively little time once you have the tools installed, then all you need to do is sit back and wait for confirmation from Intel!" As well as the updated banner in the forum, the badge can be used for any online, printed or boxed media.

Opportunities and Benefits

Being able to co-market with the Intel badge has opened up many avenues for Steve. Firstly and foremost, it's a great motivational tool, looking for every opportunity to showcase your game or application. It adds confidence to your brand when discussing your work with other parties. Most importantly for potential customers, they can recognise at a glance that the program they are investing in has strived to reach a distinctive level of quality.

The Development Angle

Just how is this achieved? There are various options to ensure your game has been sufficiently enhanced, including graphical performance, parallel performance and energy efficiency. In this article we'll concentrate on the first of these, as this is the easy route to succeeding. It's important to note you must follow this process on an Intel-powered desktop, notebook or netbook. For the graphics performance test you'll need to be using an Intel GPU. This may mean reverting to the onboard graphics processor for the duration of the tests if you normally use a dedicated graphics card.

There are various aspects to the process, which encompass a number of Intel programs. To avoid confusion, here's a quick rundown:

ISPP - The Intel® Software Partner Program provides software companies and individuals resources to help them develop, optimize, and market commercially available applications running on Intel platforms and technologies.

GPA - Graphics Performance Analyzer. You can download this component by signing up for free to the Visual Adrenaline component of the Intel® Software Network, for gaming and other visual software development.

AppUp - Provides developers with everything they need to create and then sell their applications to users of millions of Intel® AtomTM processor-based devices.

Step 2: Download the Tools. Navigate to http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/intel-gpa/ and grab the Graphical Performance Analyser. This is an invaluable tool that tells you everything you need to know about your game as it runs. It provides a nice interface giving you realtime data feedback. We'll be using this to generate our performance report.

Next, you'll need to install the Intel Graphics Checker from the Software Assessment page. You access this by selecting the relevant option from the Software Assessment Tools.

Step 3: Identify a typical workload. With the tools up and running, you need to play your game for a short period of time. During this time, the analyser will generate all of the statistics and necessary data to submit. Press Ctrl-Shift-B and the data will be saved into a collection file.

Step 4: Submit the results. If you've taken advantage of the functionality of DarkBASIC Professional and everything it has to offer, you should see some very promising results indeed. Start the Intel Graphics Checker and select your collated data. You'll be presented with a summary page, and the option to submit your data.

You need to submit a number of tests to prove that your game works on more than just your own hardware. Get friends and family to allow you access to their computers and get a good range of results. Once you have these submitted and have shown that you have passed the benchmarks required, the option to apply for your co-marketing badge becomes available to you. Congratulations, it's now just a matter of time!

New Games from The Game Creators

The Xbox platform sees the release of Goals! and is already doing very well in the charts. At the time of writing it is comfortably sitting in the Indie Game top 20 downloads at number 19, and has been climbing very fast. Reviewers have awarded it 4 out of 5 stars. You can see Goals! in the Xbox marketplace here. It's just 80 Microsoft points and you can also download the trial version for free.

My Doodle Game for iPad is just around the corner. This platform has enabled us to create an enhanced interface which we're sure you will enjoy even more. The application is now more accessible and faster to work with, with a wider range of colours and a zoom facility.

This edition is the perfect blending of art tool and game maker, and really blurs the line between art and code.

King of Code Competition Finalists

Every week, VentureBeat is crowning the very best mobile developers as "King of Code" via an exclusive editorial profile on VentureBeat.com. They are looking for innovative developers who are really pushing the envelope in the mobile space, and The Game Creators are finalists in this competition:

"Richard Vanner of U.K.-based development firm The Game Creators is playing both sides of the fence. His team doesn't just make games - with several hugely successful iOS titles under its belt - it has been building tools for other game makers for over a decade.

"Games iDare and iDork put Vanner et al. on the map in 2009 when the market started filling up with touchscreen smartphones. Vanner is especially proud of iDork - an adventure game about a stick figure's quest to escape a pile of homework, evading obstacles like pencils and protractors. It's been No. 1 on the Apple App Store's free app chart and the Samsung Bada Chart."

Wooden Floor

As simple as this segment sounds, adding realistic flooring segments such as this one from the model pack 47 (Church Pack) collection can transform your game.

Adaptive Smart-Tile technology in Model Pack 47 allows you to create versitile indoor and outdoor scenes with the same tileset, make exciting high quality buildings for you to explore.

Archway

An arch from model pack 50 (Catacombs Pack). Combine two of these for a full arch or embed one against a cavern wall for a different effect. Using Model Pack 50 you can explore winding caverns, dusty halls and ancient dungeons with unique layered customisation options available allowing you to make your rooms as detailed as your imagination will allow!

2-Way Glass unit

This is a 2-way glass FPSC window unit with two 'frame' texture variations. Only one side of the glass in the window unit can be seen through and the other cannot. There is also a separate version for both textured models which can have the glass 'shot out' by the player. This unit is ideal for many types of scenes in many Genres.

All of the above models are available to purchase and download through the inbuilt Game Creator Store in FPS Creator and DBPro, and also using the standalone store for other game-making tools.

Pick up free Store Points

The Game Creators have teamed up with the leading providers of virtual currency; perform a few simple tasks and top up your Store points. As well as being able to take up exciting offers and receiving potentially thousands of points, there are a host of other tasks to earn rewards. Watch a movie trailer, rate search results, answer questions, tag photos or choose from a host of activities that will ultimately earn you any of the high quality models and resources to make your game shine.

Open the Store, through FPS Creator, DBPro or the standalone version. Log in to your account and select the Buy Points option. Below the regular payment options you'll find links to gWallet, Offerpal, DoubleDing and TrialPay. You'll immediately find yourself in amongst the tasks and offers available, and can start earning immediately by watching a movie trailer or two!

Upload Your Assets to The Game Creator Store

Did you know you can sell your models, segments, music and sky boxes in the Game Creator Store? We already have dozens of artists selling their media, and we welcome anyone with the talent to provide our community with quality assets to do the same. If you are interested in becoming a store seller, please contact Janet, our Store Administrator directly.

3D Modeling Competition - Vehicular Modeling

By David Gervais, BiggAdd and MikeS

It's time to get your ideas in motion, whether it be slow motion, super sonic, smooth sailing, road gripping, sky rocketing, earth-bound or anything in between. If you can ride on it, in it, under it, over it, behind it, beside it, or in front of it and it can be called a Vehicle. Then Build it and show us your creation. Keep in mind this is The Game Creator's Forums so any entries that are geared towards being used in games will get extra brownie points.

This Compo will run through to September 26. (giving you 4 full weekends to work your magic). Cheers and have fun!

How the 3D Modeling Competitions Work

The accolades for the winners are retained until the next competition winners, and are as follows:

3DMaster - Champion awarded to the overall winner in the competition, an entry which displays both modeling and texturing excellence.

3DMaster - Best Model awarded to the runner up who demonstrates the finest modeling skills in the competition.

3DMaster - Best Texture awarded to the runner up who demonstrates texturing wizardry in the competition.

The awards will cling to your Avatar until the results of the following competition are announced. So to keep your award, you must defend your honour in battle once again!

From the Forums

Two New Valued Members

Our forums are adorned with the badges of two new Valued Members, including our first nomination that has been sent from within the community. The moderators were alerted to Sven B, who has been recommended predominantly for his Image Kit plugin, given free to the community. It is not just the provision of some fantastic functionality, but also the unfaltering support he gives, and recently providing the source code free to the community to ensure it is used to it's maximum capabilities.

Our second nomination is Xplosys. Residing mainly in the FPSC boards, he is known for being very helpful and keen in posting to assist others. Xplosys is also recognised for the work he has done in freely developing and providing a stream of useful FPSC supporting apps.

This is an open source immediate mode GUI by Diggsey. The GUI is very simple to use. Instead of having to mess around creating and deleting controls, you simply call a function in your main loop and the control appears! All of the GUI is generated using DBP code.

Sven B has made this project open source to everyone. He has provided a download link to an original version of Image Kit V2 (the latest 'official' release). This thread contains all C++ files and MSVC++ Express 2010 project files to compile to this version.

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